Satellite communications have spanned the digital divide and supported various applications including broadband internet, telephony, multimedia, remote sensing, navigation, telemedicine, and education.
By Andrey Kirillovich, Director of Strategy, Marketing and Business Development at Intersputnik International, Organisation of Space Communications
Satellite communications have transformed the way people connect with each other, in addition to playing a critical role in addressing some of the worlds biggest challenges. They have bridged the digital divide, connecting people worldwide and supporting various applications such as broadband internet, telephony, multimedia, remote sensing, navigation, telemedicine, and education. Therefore, this technology has contributed significantly to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from fighting poverty and hunger to supporting the development of industries, innovation, infrastructure, and sustainable communities.
The Future of Telemedicine:
One of the most significant challenges facing the world today is healthcare, particularly in remote or underdeveloped areas. Satellites provide telemedicine services, connecting doctors and patients in remote areas with specialists located in more populated areas. This technology enables doctors to diagnose and treat patients without requiring them to travel long distances, saving time and money for both patients and healthcare providers.
Satellite technologies have become widely used by first responders units due to their autonomy, high deployment speed, high throughput, and cost-effectiveness. This allows for the provision of qualified assistance to victims immediately after an incident, significantly increasing the likelihood of saving lives.
Sowing Seeds of Precision Farming
Satcoms are also being used to provide solutions to global food security challenges. Farmers can utilise satellite data to monitor crop growth and predict yields, allowing them to make informed decisions about when to plant, fertilise, and harvest their crops. Additionally, satellite imagery is used to monitor the health of forests and oceans, helping prevent deforestation and overfishing.
The implementation of precision farming technology offers various benefits, such as reducing fuel usage, optimising labour costs, applying fertilisers in a targeted and controlled manner, timely use of plant protection, efficient use of water resources, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Intersputnik International, in collaboration with its members and signatories, is currently developing a solution that enables precise point positioning corrections to be received via standard Ku-band bent pipe communication or broadcasting satellite, which significantly reduces the cost of the correction module. This solution can be widely implemented by farmers in developing countries due to the lower costs and an opportunity to use their domestic satellite systems in remote areas where such corrections cannot be received from a cellular network due to the absence of coverage. It is expected that this solution will increase the adoption of precision farming, especially in developing countries, resulting in improved harvest yields.
Bridging the Education Divide
In the field of education, satellite communications are providing solutions to the challenge of providing access to education in remote or underdeveloped areas. More than half of the member states of the organisation are developing countries, and many of them have nationwide projects to connect schools. Intersputnik is actively promoting the use of satellite-based solutions to expand its reach, especially to access remote schools that may not have access to fibre or microwave terrestrial connectivity. In addition, we work closely with service providers to connect schools in developing countries around the world using satellite bandwidth. In keeping with this commitment, Intersputnik will participate at CABSAT to showcase its wide satellite bandwidth selection and other solutions. The three-day event is a significant platform for decision-makers and forward-thinking individuals to discuss and exchange ideas on solutions aimed at addressing global challenges.
